French Open: Jack Draper bows down to Gael Monfils after Round 2 win

Jack Draper expressed deep respect for Gael Monfils after advancing to the next round of the French Open men’s singles. On Thursday, May 29, the 23-year-old Draper defeated Monfils 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a three-hour and 11-minute battle on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Following the match on Centre Court, Draper shared his admiration for Monfils, who had recently made history as the oldest player to win a match at Roland Garros after his victory over Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien.

“Someone I admire as a player. Off court the guy is incredibly nice. Such a joker. He’s a magician. He does everything man. Huge respect to him. I hope he’s able to play here again,” Draper said in the on-court interview after the match.

‘I love this player’

Monfils also had words of praise for Draper, who had never won a match at the French Open before this year’s tournament. In 2023 and 2024, Draper made first-round exits in the clay-court major. Monfils noted that Draper has elevated his game, highlighting his already-strong backhand and noticeable improvement on the forehand side.

“I love this player. I love the way he plays, because he plays a very fast backhand … when Jack was young, he really had the best backhand. Maybe he had fewer points. But he was more solid in the backhand, and he’s progressed a lot on his forehand now,” Monfils said.

“He’s a left-hander who goes very fast along the line. That’s not common, and he moves really well on the court,” Monfils added.

Prior to the French Open, Draper broke into the top 5 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career. He also reached the final of the Madrid Open, where he was defeated by Casper Ruud.

In the next round at Roland Garros, Draper will face Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, who eliminated Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round.